


Aching

by silverwolf_fox



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Dieting pills, Eating Disorders, F/M, Gen, Self-Doubt, Starvation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-24 06:55:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14350257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silverwolf_fox/pseuds/silverwolf_fox
Summary: Pressured by the demands of his career, Adrien ignores the health of his mind and body so that he can please his father. Life is so much easier as a super hero. It's going to take his kwami and partner to calm him down and keep him looking towards tomorrow. Toes the T/M line so rounded up to be safe. Some Adrien and Plagg friendship with a dash of LadyNoir





	Aching

**Author's Note:**

> One of my best friends (and the beta for this chapter) debate psychological and philosophical themes of the show. Unfortunately for Adrien, we’ve established a slew of mental and physical problems that he could possibly suffer from.
> 
> Warning for possible triggers could include eating disorders and a little negative self-image. Also, I am aware that France has implemented laws when it comes to models and fashion, etc., for health safety issues, but you’ll just have to ignore those.

 It was long into the night when a shadowed figure jumped through the open window of his bedroom. Hours after patrol had ended, Chat Noir had continued to run across the Parisian rooftops just to enjoy the cool November air.

His tail gently swayed behind him as he circled the large room. Pausing in the middle of his room, absentmindedly clicking his claws against each other, Chat sighed. The surrounding white walls closed in on him. Suffocated him.

 _Back in my cage_ , he thought. Sparing a glance at the black ring on his finger, the transformation fell away and the small black kwami appeared before him. Plagg immediately flew to the bed and lied down, breathing heavy from exhaustion.

The young man walked into the bathroom to look at himself in the mirror. Blond hair coiffed to model perfection instead of a wild mess. Green eyes but not green cat eyes. A handsome face without a mask. The perfect collar to keep him leashed, otherwise called Adrien Agreste. His human eyes narrowed and lips curled into a frown, and he ran a hand through his hair, shaking the locks about to try and mimic that crazy style.

Huffing when he couldn’t get it perfect, the civilian Adrien went to check on his kwami. When he sat down on the bed, the black spirit stared at him through half-lidded eyes.

“You’re killing me here, kid,” he huffed. “Get me some camembert, will you?” Phrased as a question, Adrien knew it wasn’t one, but he also knew that he had run Plagg too hard tonight and so fetched the smelly cheese wheel without complaint. After extending his transformations into long free runs across Paris, Adrien had found out that whereas Cataclysm will force him into an early detransformation, without it he can remain as Chat Noir indefinitely. The catch is the longer he’s transformed, the harder the backlash is for Plagg.

The moment the camembert wheel was put down, the feline kwami attacked it, greedily choking down every stinky, delicious crumb.

“I’m sorry, Plagg,” Adrien quietly apologized, leaning back on his hands and crossing one leg over the other. The spirit briefly paused in his eating to stare at his chosen before picking up his cheese and floating over to sit on the boy’s inclined stomach before continuing his meal.

Without any words, Adrien understood and faintly smiled, trying to ignore the horrid stench of camembert cheese that was now literally right under his nose.

* * *

“Dude, are you dying?”

Nino’s voice brought Adrien out of his trance. The two were sitting at their shared desk at the front of the classroom on an average Tuesday morning. Students were still filtering in, and each one took a moment to stare at the handsome, golden haired model who, today, wore a gray hoodie pulled over his head and was resting his cheek on his crossed arms.

Forcing himself to sit up, Adrien graced his best friend with a weak smile.

“I’m fine. Just a little tired.” And hungry.

This morning, he’d had the misfortune of his father’s attention in the dining room.

_It was rare to see his father in the mornings, the man usually already having isolated himself in his office, but Gabriel Agreste was there, looking as though the mere act of being near his son was an irritation. Withholding a sigh and straightening his spine, Adrien offered his father a good morning with a weak smile and received a short nod of acknowledgement in return. The pangs of a feeble dinner last night left him unwilling to waste energy by feeling overlooked._

_Adrien stood and waited patiently, the room quiet except for the murmured business jargon exchanged between a boss and his assistant. Once finished, Gabriel raked a cold eye over his son and gave Nathalie the passing comment, “Make sure he doesn’t eat too much,” before setting out to begin his work. Though a seemingly harmless instruction, Adrien felt his chest tighten and looked to the woman who normally took care of him. She avoided his gaze._

_“Um, I’m not really that hungry,” he lied, coughing slightly to try and break the tension that had thickened the air, and forcing a smile. “Maybe just an apple?”_

His stomach grumbled at the thought. More photoshoots than normal had been scheduled for the next few weeks so his father was determined that Adrien must look perfect. Thankfully, by this point, the occasional hunger pains didn’t bother him as much. He rubbed his eye and lightly shook his head, his mind growing fuzzy from hunger and lack of energy.

After only a couple minutes, Adrien glanced around to see that class was already over and his classmates were gathering their books.

“But...it just started,” he said, turning to give Nino a confused stare.

“What are you talking about, man? Did you sleep through the entire lecture?” His tone was surprised and an eyebrow was raised. Adrien had never zoned out for an entire class before and usually, even when he wasn’t paying attention, he still somehow absorbed the information. Admittedly, Nino was pretty jealous of that talent.

“I…” Adrien trailed off weakly, having no answer. “Can I borrow your notes?” Clapping a hand on his friend’s shoulder, Nino smiled and assured Adrien that he wouldn’t fall behind. Next was science, and he swore that he was going to pay more attention. Though he did, he only managed a few lines of notes that barely covered even a quarter of what Ms. Mendeleiev covered.

When it came time for everyone to go their separate ways for the lunch break, the two boys went outside. The sun was out, and Adrien threw up a hand to shield his eyes. The warmth helped to clear his mind even though the gray hoodie made him feel overheated. The model started when he realized that he had spaced out again and Alya was standing by them, Marinette by her side.

They were all staring at him. Awkwardly grinning to cover up his slight embarrassment, Adrien met each of their concerned gazes. “Um...sorry?”

“Coming to lunch, bro?” Nino repeated, chuckling to cover his worry.

“Sorry, guys, I can’t. The Gorilla is picking me up for a photoshoot.” Adrien rubbed the back of his head, regretfully. On cue, the Agreste family car pulled up to the school. Sparing a glance at his friends, he raised a farewell hand and headed over to the car.

Then began one of the most uncomfortable, physically and emotionally draining, photoshoots that Adrien could ever remember doing. They drove to the studio, and the Gorilla escorted his young charge into the building. The crew was already set up and were impatiently waiting for their star. He was rushed along to wardrobe and makeup, where he sneaked Plagg out from his hoodie and into his school bag.

That’s when things started to go wrong. The makeup artist kept commenting on any and every minor flaw, particularly the bags that had recently formed under his green eyes from stress. After that, the first round of photos went relatively smoothly, but for the second half they wanted to try a little more skin. While shirtless modeling wasn’t something he’d done before, Adrien was confident in his physique after the hours spent running through Paris, and fighting akumas.

When the photoshoot director started twisting Adrien around and prodding at various spots on his sides and back, it was clear that she didn’t feel quite the same way. Madame Leveau’s fingers pinched at any spare bit of extra skin, and her gaze narrowed with a critical eye. Adrien’s throat tightened, having never been made to feel insecure during his modeling career.

“Is there something wrong?” he asked. The director’s cold fingers fell away, and she straightened her posture, meeting his wide-eyed gaze with a frown.

“Nothing that we can do anything about right now,” she huffed. Giving a wave of her hand, she walked back behind the photographer. “Continue.”

Normally very comfortable in front of a camera, now he kept thinking about what is was that Mme Leveau was so disappointed in. His work suffered, and Adrien couldn’t have been more relieved to run to the back room and get changed into his regular clothes, leaving the hoodie bundled up in his bag. He leaned against the wall, hand covering his mouth, to allow some time to steel himself before seeing the photography crew.

As if sensing his chosen’s distress, Plagg popped his head out of the shoulder bag and flew over to rub his large head against Adrien’s shoulder. Sucking in a large breath through his nose, he shook his hand to try and get rid of the shaking.

“Come on, Plagg,” Adrien muttered, holding open his white overshirt. The spirit moved to his usual place, snuggling up to make a warm spot against his ribs. Slinging the school bag over his shoulder, Adrien walked out, avoiding everyone’s uncomfortable stares until the Gorilla came up beside him to take him back to school. The drive felt about ten times longer, during which the young model didn’t notice his off-hand feeling along his abdomen.

By the time they parked next to the stairs, Adrien’s head had fallen back against the cool leather seats, and he felt mentally exhausted. He couldn’t get out of the car fast enough. The door slammed shut behind him when he headed up the outside stairs, though he kept looking over his shoulder. The moment the Gorilla had driven the car out of sight, Adrien double checked that no one was looking before darting around to the side of the building.

His kwami floated up in front of his face. He dropped the shoulder bag to his feet.

“Did something happen during your thing?” he asked curiously.

“The director wasn’t very happy with me,” Adrien admitted after a moment’s hesitation, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the brick wall. _Father is going to be so angry._

“Was it cause of your face?” the kwami teased. With an eyeroll and sarcastic laugh, the young man cheered up a bit and held up a hand for Plagg to sit down on. “Don’t you have class?” Adrien groaned and frowned. With how tired he’d felt lately and the uncomfortable feeling growing in his gut since the photoshoot, just imagining sitting in class again quickly soured his mood.

The hand not claimed by Plagg slipped under his shirt, fingers unconsciously probing along the ridges of his abdominals, feeling the soft, pliable skin. His fingers twitched.

“Let’s skip.” The sudden decision surprised the kwami, who didn’t bother hiding how excited he was. It was no secret that Plagg was easily bored and often complained about having to sit through classes. “Plagg. Claws out!”

As the magic ran over him, it felt as though a heavy weight was taken away. The transformation overcompensated for his unnaturally tired limbs. Strength and power flowed through his veins as the black suit formed and brought a sense of peace and comfort that evaded Adrien Agreste but empowered Chat Noir.

The black cat breathed deep, reveling in the heightened senses of his transformation. With a running start and a magically extending staff, Chat Noir was quickly increasing the distance between him and the school. There was always a rush of energy during the initial phase of becoming Chat Noir. A freedom in knowing that he can go anywhere, do anything, and no one could stop him.

Paw-treaded boots pounded the rooftops, wind sweeping through his hair. Leaping between buildings gave him a shot of adrenaline that pounded in his heart. His claws raked against the stones while running on all fours, performing flips and somersaults that earned him cheers from the wandering Parisian civilians. Chat Noir did parkour until even his magic couldn’t keep him energized. He dropped to his knees atop the Arc de Triomphe, sucking in air and letting his body fall like a lead weight. Summoning a little strength, Chat managed to roll himself onto his back, shutting his eyes against the bright sun.

School still had about two hours or so before it let out, so there was plenty of time for a little cat nap on top of the Arc de Triomphe before heading back in time for the Gorilla to pick him up. The light, sun soaked stone was deliciously warm against his back, and Chat’s chest rumbled in appreciation. Left arm bent behind his head and his right hand peacefully sharpening his claws against the monument.

It’d been a long time since he’d felt this relaxed. No one making demands of him or expecting him to be quiet, respectful Adrien. His lips curled into a smile. His mind felt so clear and there were no hunger pains. The moment the thought crossed his mind, Chat Noir’s stomach loudly growled, and he remembered that he never got to eat lunch.

As if he didn’t realize his father often scheduled photoshoots to last the entire lunch break with no food provided. Chat groaned, cracked open a wide, green cat eye to check the time using his baton, and groaned again louder. _Ah, crap_ , he thought, ears flattening against his head. Forcing himself to his feet, Chat shot himself into the sky and began his run back to Collège Françoise Dupont.

The transformation dropped right when his feet hit the ground on the side of the building. Adrien’s breath was labored, all the strength and confidence he felt as Chat Noir dropping away, and Plagg wasn’t doing much better. The tired kwami yawned.

“I hope your nap was worth it,” the cat spirit snarked, having thought a break for Adrien meant a break for him. Plagg only cheered up and forgave Adrien when the boy handed him a large piece of camembert cheese from the bag that was thankfully still there waiting for him.

Adrien peeked around the corner and saw a few other kids hanging around and talking before going home. He’d have to time this well. The Gorilla can’t know he skipped, and Adrien didn’t really have an explanation for his friends about where he went.

Coming down the road, he caught a glimpse of the family car and strolled out to wait for it, Plagg slipping under his shirt. Besides, Nino and the others had probably already…

“Hey, where’ve you been, bro?” Adrien flinched when he heard the voice of his best friend behind him. Turning to look at Nino, he scratched the back of his head.

“Oh, hey, um...the photoshoot ran too long,” he lied, saying the first believable excuse he thought of.

“Then what are you doing here?” Maybe not so believable. The faint shaking within his shirt told him that Plagg was struggling to withhold his laughter. Nino quirked a confused eyebrow.

“I...well…” Green eyes darted around and widened when his car pulled up. Normally, he hated when his bodyguard arrived, but now it was an amazing relief. “Oh look, it’s my ride. Sorry, Nino, can’t keep him waiting,” he quickly stammered, tossing a wave and all but running to the car.

Watching out the window as he buckled up, Adrien saw Nino shift his backpack while staring after his friend. Pushing down his guilt, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes, allowing himself to drift off.

* * *

Dinner was a quiet affair. Adrien sat at the end of the long table. Leaning against his cheek against his hand, he picked at his food with a fork. Roasted chicken, potatoes, broccoli, and it smelled as delicious as he knew it would taste. However…

“Adrien, you need to eat.” It was so easy to forget Nathalie was there until she opened her mouth.

“Why bother?” he snarked in a rare show of attitude, dropping his utensil on the plate with a clang. In the following silence, Adrien felt proud that he had made the assistant speechless, but he also knew that things would only get worse if he didn’t do what he was supposed to. Sparing her a single look, he picked up his fork and forced down his dinner.

Just as wonderful as he had expected.

The peace while Nathalie didn’t speak as he ate was appreciated, even though there was no way it would last. Sure enough, once the last bite was taken and he was getting up from his chair, she spoke.

“Adrien.” It wasn’t that sad tone calling his civilian name that made him turn to face her, but rather the familiar sound of many tiny objects rattling around in a container. His stomach dropped, but he wordlessly held out a hand for the pill bottle.

“Do I have to?” he asked quietly, the question not so secretly begging her to take his side. Looking from the translucent orange bottle to the regretful, almost pained, expression on her face, he fought to hide the angry tremors that shook him. _Don’t pretend to care,_ he wanted to yell. _If you did, then you wouldn’t make me do this!_

Alas, Adrien remained silent. He was as scared to stand up to his father as she was, and they both knew it.

“It’s your father’s orders,” Nathalie said, forcing her tone to remain even. “One a day after dinner until the next photoshoot.” The words felt like a punch to his gut, and his jaw dropped in disbelief. Chat Noir would have fought and defended himself, but Adrien clenched his jaw, tightened his fist around the bottle, and left to his room without another word.

The moment his bedroom door closed behind him, Plagg flew out from under the white overshirt and watched Adrien head straight to his bathroom. His chosen hadn’t turned on the lights, allowing the large room to be lit by the orange rays of the setting sun.

The boy’s shoulders were hunched, setting the pills on the bathroom counter while flipping the light switch. Plagg winced a bit, the sudden light harsh against his sensitive cat eyes, and floated closer to the blonde model.

“Adrien?” he called, his voice coated in a rare show of worry. Adrien didn’t reply, leaning both hands against the pale counter in front of his mirror. Several minutes passed while he stared at himself with a blank face, then he slowly slipped off his overshirt and pulled his shirt over his head. Now standing in just his jeans, he set his large hand against his abdomen. A shiver of a memory of Mme Leveau ran down his spine.

It was weird.

He knew he was in great shape, could feel the strong muscles flexing against his palm, but it was the faint indents of his ribs that he couldn’t take his eyes off of. Couldn’t help trying to find the flaws that had angered Mme Leveau. Adrien took a shuddering breath and picked up the bottle, the clacking of the pale blue capsules mocking him.

As the black kwami drifted closer, he recognized the medication given to his chosen one and frowned. There was a glass by the sink that Adrien poured a little water into. It was always there in case of these situations. The bottle popped open, and a single capsule was shaken onto his pale hand.

Moving closer to float right next to the offending hand, Plagg pressed a paw to Adrien’s thumb.

“Kid...maybe you shouldn’t,” he suggested in a quiet voice. Green eyes took in the pitying face of the black cat spirit before shifting to the mirrored reflection. An empty, human face with dull, human eyes stared back. _Maybe they’re right._

Adrien tossed the blue pill in his mouth and swallowed it down with a quick drink of cold water. Though it went down easy, it dropped like a rock in his stomach. The fast acting pill caused a pressure in his throat. The young boy fell to his knees by the toilet just before he began to expel his dinner. The dieting pills his father had him take always made him throw up.

Briefly, he considered if that’s what they’re supposed to do. Adrien coughed, trying in vain to stop the burning along his esophagus before spitting up more of his food. His fists were clenched tightly until his knuckles turned white, as if that could relieve the ache traveling from his stomach to his throat. An acidic tang was left in his mouth, disgusting chunks caught in the back of his throat. He coughed again. A soft, warm weight rested on the crook between his neck and shoulder where Plagg moved to sit. The spirit rubbed a tiny paw along the sweat soaked skin, so soft that it was barely noticeable.

His shoulders and back shook as he tried to steady his breathing. Nearly an hour had passed before his stomach had calmed down enough to stop dry heaving so that Adrien could lean up from the porcelain bowl. Spittle still clung to his lips, and he wished there was something left in his stomach to get rid of the tension that continued to clench it. The room was warm, no, it was broiling.

He felt weak. Broken. Tears had formed at the corners of his eyes from the physical stress of vomiting. After wiping his mouth with a piece of toilet paper and flushing, he grabbed the counter edge and tried to stand on shaky legs.

The water he’d left on the counter helped to sooth his sore throat. Adrien was using a hand towel to wipe sweat off of his brow and neck when Plagg, who was nestled in the damp hair on top of his head, spoke up.

“Want to go for a run, kid?” The golden haired teenager slowly nodded his head, raising up the hand that bore the white ring miraculous.

“Plagg? Claws out.”

It was still a little early for patrol, so Chat Noir leaped from his window and decided to go to the Eiffel Tower to watch the sunset. He’d have to hurry to make it in time, though the sky was already being painted purple and red. His limbs pleasantly burned as the muscles stretched and pushed him forward.

He was climbing the wrought iron supports just before the sun disappeared below the horizon. Though a little late, Chat was still pleased to watch the city of Paris light up as darkness fell. It was a city of stars. Leaning on the metal railing, Chat breathed in the warm air. These were amazing moments, where Paris was quiet, and he could have the best view no one else would get to enjoy. Only one thing could make it better, and that was a beautiful girl in a red suit.

A beautiful, strong hero who was flying through the streets of Paris with a magical yo-yo. She slung herself upwards before landing down right next to her partner. In her hand was a brown paper bag, and the sweet smell drifting from it simultaneously made Chat’s stomach growl in hunger and ache in painful emptiness.

“You’re early, minou,” Ladybug commented, even though she herself was here earlier than they had planned. The black clad hero tilted his head and gave her his customary grin.

“Couldn’t wait to see you, M’Ladybug.” His lady rolled her eyes but smiled and held out the bag she carried to him.

“Here. I picked up some cheesy croissants and macarons on my way.” Actually, they were leftovers from her family’s bakery today that would just go to waste if no one ate them. Chat reached out a hand, eager to accept any gift that came from Ladybug, but froze when a sudden pang in his belly reminded him of the spidery fingers pinching at him, judging him.

“Sorry...I, um, can’t,” he stammered. Large, bluebell eyes, shining as they reflected the Parisian night lights, narrowed in concern.

“Do you not like them? I could bring something else next time,” she offered. Seeing the signs of guilt grow on her face, Chat was quick to correct her.

“It’s not that, I’m just not allowed to eat something so fa…” he paused before changing what he had been about to say, “...something so decadent, especially so late at night.”

“They’re just pastries,” she chuckled lightly. “Not like we won’t burn it off.” When the usually cheerful cat hero continued to stare out at Paris with a blank expression, Ladybug stepped closer. “Why can’t you?”

Chat considered his words, knowing he can’t give too many details without revealing certain aspects of his civilian life. He may not care if she knows, but he understood that she didn’t want to risk knowing.

“My father was told that I needed to drop some extra weight so he put my on a stricter diet.”

“That’s ridiculous! You’re plenty scrawny already!” Cat eyes widened in indignation and stared into her blue.

“Scrawny? This is all muscle, thank you _furry_ much!” His arm bent to flex his bicep at her.

“What I’m saying,” Ladybug said, smiling despite his pun, “is that you don’t need to worry about something like that. You’re in great shape.” Her cheeks brightened, and he laughed once before falling silent, turning his gaze back to the darkened horizon.

His spotted partner noticed his hesitation.

“Chat, you don’t believe them, do you?” Her voice was quiet, her eyes taking in his downcast expression and his fidgeting fingers.

He shrugged. Then he sighed. At a loss, Ladybug did the only thing she could think of and wrapped her arms around him. Black cat ears that had been pressed to his head sharply stood up, and the belt tail curled instead of hanging limply to the floor. His entire body tensed as his face heated.

“M-M’Lady?”

“There’s nothing wrong with you, mon minou,” she breathed. Her face was pressed into his shoulder which muffled her voice. Chat turned slightly so that he could slowly raise his arms to circle her, holding her tightly to his chest. Nuzzling his nose against her hair, he felt her tighten her grip as well.

“I know,” he replied. “Logically, I know, but it doesn’t always feel that way.” When Chat realized that he was starting to tremble, he pulled away. He had to be strong in front of Ladybug.

The two heroes stood facing each other at the top of the Eiffel Tower. Paris was quiet and filled with lights below. The calm air between them was thickening with rising tension. Neither knew what to say, but just as Ladybug opened her mouth to try, a loud rumbling echoed. Mouth agape, his lady stared at him, watching his face beneath the mask glow red. She couldn’t help it. Her belly ached and eyes watered from how hard she was laughing, and Chat Noir, in all his embarrassment, couldn’t stop himself from joining in.

Arms gripping her sides, Ladybug laughed until she couldn’t breathe. Even though it wasn’t actually that funny, the way his growling stomach cut the tension in half brought a welcome feeling of relief that laughing was really the only way to deal with it. When the shakes began to subside, Ladybug reached into her bag and pulled out one of the croissants, coated in butter and cheese, and held it out to her friend.

Chat hesitated again.

“Mon minou, do you trust me?” she asked gently.

“Of course, Buginette,” he immediately responded. Her smile gave him comfort. Chat trusted her with his life, his love, his everything. Ladybug would never hurt him. She cared more about him than anyone else. It was that thought that let him accept the food she offered.

When Chat tried to grab it, crumbs fell where his claws smoothly pierced the soft bread, something that caused the two of them to laugh some more. The first bite made him want to moan with how good it tasted, though it did sit uncomfortably at first in his stomach after its forced emptiness earlier. Giving it a moment to settle before downing the rest, his wide green eyes met Ladybug’s.

For a second he considered telling her the other half of his diet, the part involving diet pills and puking, but quickly decided he didn’t want to tell her that. Chat couldn’t bear it if his lady thought he was weak.

Instead he changed the subject and asked her something that’d been on his mind.

“Ladybug?” The young woman started, not used to hearing her name spoken in such a serious tone by her fun loving partner. “Have you ever thought about staying like this?”

“Like what?” she asked, confused.

“As Ladybug and Chat Noir,” he explained. “Never going back to our civilian lives.”

“Of course not. They’re a part of who we are.” He snorted at her answer. Sighing through her nose, she questioned, “I’m guessing you have?”

“Yeah,” he answered simply and wistfully. Chat Noir didn’t have to follow rules and was free to go wherever his legs could take him. The hero of destruction didn’t have to spend most of his days hungry to appease an emotionally absent parent. He admitted harshly, “Things are better like this.”

“Did something happen?” Ladybug cautiously asked, caught off guard by the bitter hiss he spoke with.

He shrugged.

“I don’t want to get into it.”

“Chat…”

“We better start patrolling,” he cut off, reaching a hand  back to grab his staff. Ladybug moved back close to him and grabbed his opposite hand. Their bodies were a hair’s breadth away from each other, and her head tilted back, having never paid attention to how much taller he was than her.

Chat Noir paused, worried that if he fidgeted even an inch that his lovebug would disappear.

“You know that I’ll always be here for you, don’t you, mon minou?” She breathed the words, an unusual feeling thumping in her chest from being so close to her partner. He gulped nervously and nodded.

“Yeah. I know,” he whispered back. Their faces unconsciously drifted closer.

“I want you to be safe and take care of yourself.” Warm breaths mingled between them.

“Anything for you, M’Lady.” Noses gently brushed together. Ladybug’s hand on top of his tightened.

Adrien was weak. Spineless. A cowardly boy who has never been able to fight for himself or for anyone else. Scared to stand up against Chloe for fear of losing his oldest friend; scared to be anything less than agreeable with his new friends so that they don’t abandon him; terrified of the unknown dangers of going against his father. Adrien didn’t have the strength and courage of Chat Noir, but as he stared into the large, bluebell eyes so close to him, Chat thought that maybe Adrien could do better for her.

“You mean so much to me, Ladybug.” His eyes closed, and the distance between them became nonexistent. The press of their lips was warm and soft and lasted only a moment before Ladybug pulled back, fire racing into her cheeks.

The spotted heroine began stammering in an oddly familiar way while insisting that they needed to start their patrol of the city. She gave him no time to react before throwing her yo-yo and leaping from the Eiffel Tower.

Caught off guard by the sudden departure, Chat Noir watched, unsure if the feeling in his gut was disappointment or amusement. Twirling his baton, the black cat followed after his Ladybug into the city lit by lights like fireflies.

* * *

The moment the magic vanished, Adrien felt the repercussions of using his miraculous as a way to feel better. All of his energy sapped, he fell back onto the bed, limbs splayed out. Plagg landed himself on Adrien’s face, curling up around his nose.

“Camembert. I need camembert!” the ancient kwami whined. Groaning in reply, Adrien wrinkled his nose until Plagg hungrily nipped the bridge before letting himself slide down the side of his chosen’s cheek and plop onto a fluffy pillow.

Since he was already up, Adrien stepped into the bathroom to wash his face. A quick look in the mirror showed that he still looked the same. Paler than normal skin and shadows under his eyes, but there was a spark in the green orbs that hadn’t been there before. His head tilted to the side in thought.

The orange bottle beside his sink drew his gaze. Feeling strangely disconnected, he gingerly picked it up with his fingers. Back in his room, Adrien picked up a plate of strong smelling cheese that he’d gotten delivered by his chef earlier and placed it on his bed, something he knew he’d regret in the morning when his sheets would surely stink of it.

The black cat spirit crawled to the dish and enjoyed a mouthful of his preferred food before noticing Adrien’s odd behavior. The blond was standing by his desk, using the moonlight spilling in from the window to stare at the bottle of diet medication, deeply in thought.

Breaking off a piece of cheese, Plagg floated over and held it out in offering.

“Want some cheese?” Adrien blinked as if he didn’t notice the spirit. Silently switching between the pills in his hand and the offered camembert, the memory of pink dusting across his lady’s face beneath her mask quirked his lips into a smile.

As fast as tension rose, it fell as he tossed the bottle carelessly on his desk and accepted the gift. Even though he had to hold his breath to avoid the stench, Adrien tossed the whole piece in his mouth and swallowed it down as fast as he could. For politeness’ sake, he tried to keep from wincing from the unpleasant taste.

Laying down on his soft bed, a heavy yawn escaped him. There was movement by his side where Plagg sat to continue devouring his snack. Adrien softly rubbed the top of the kwami’s head with his index finger, smiling when he heard a purr followed by an embarrassed complaint.

“Thanks, Plagg. For everything.”

**Author's Note:**

> Poor Adrien! It pains me to hurt you this way.


End file.
